South Bay's super secret dog beach

I first wrote about the South Bay "dog" beach about a year ago and I still get the occassional e-mail about it.

(For some reason, a post I wrote about seeing a snake on The HIll also continues to draw interest as well)

The missives about it tend to be of three types:

There are the people who want directions how to get there

There are the people who already go there and are upset that I'm sharing the secret.

And there are the people who live not far away who scream bloody murder because -- God forbid! -- somebody is using a beach a quarter mile from where they live. I guess having their own private beach isn't enough for them. They want the beach next to them to be forbidden. Good luck with that.

I love getting letters like that. Feel free to write more. I'll post them, even if you call me an idiot. Heck, ESPECIALLY if you call me an idiot.

I enjoy it because really, who can be justified in being upset about me giving directions to a beach that's open to the public? It belongs to all of us.

And before I divulge the info, please know that while the beach is a wonderful place to walk your dog, it is certainly illegal to have them off leash there. If you get caught -- and people have been caught there -- you'll get a nasty fine. But people do it all the time. It's great fun to see dogs splashing and running in the water.

And in fact, it's a nice place to go without a dog. It's very rugged and unspoiled. You also have to climb down a pretty steep cliff to get there, so you have to be in decent shape. And it's very secluded, which means you're likely to find the carcass of a fly-infested sea animal rotting on the shore, so it's not for everybody.

And of course, always be a considerate person and bring bags with you to clean up after your dog. You have to promise to do that.

OK, so here we go

Drive down to the Trump golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes. The address is One Ocean Trails Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes,

It's off of Palos Verdes Drive South, about a mile from the border with San Pedro.

Head down Ocean Trails Drive until you see a public parking lot. You can park there. It's near the club house.

From there, head down past the gazebo. The trails are public access, so don't feel like you're tresspassing.

The trails go in two directions, but both will take you to beach access. As you get near the cliff, you'll see a little sign that says "beach access." Follow it down.

If you take the trail on the right (which is the steeper of the two), you'll wind up at the secluded beach. If you take the trail on the left (which is easier, but longer), you need to turn right when you get to the bottom and go a few hundred yards.

And that's it.

Enjoy. Behave. And I look forward to hearing from you.